The present invention relates to filtering items in a computer application program container object. By filtering is meant comparing data contained one or more specified item data fields with user-entered filter data, and selecting only those items whose data match the filter data. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved filtering method which allows a computer user to filter such items using data contained in the items and data contained in an address book data base.
Computer users frequently find it advantageous to filter the items in a computer application program container object, such as a file cabinet, a file cabinet drawer, a folder within a file cabinet drawer, or an electronic mail in-basket or out-basket. For example, a user might desire a list of all the items contained by a file cabinet which were sent by a specific person, i.e., items in which that specific person is the addressor. Such a list may be compiled by using the person's name to filter the addressor data fields of each item.
Presently, a computer user may filter items using filter data for data contained in the items. Thus, a computer user may typically filter the items using filter data for such data as the addressor's name, an addressee's name, the subject of the item, the date of the item, and the name of a person to whom a copy of the item was sent.
The present invention allows a computer user to filter items in a container object using filter data for data contained in an address book data base and data contained in the items. As address book data bases may contain such additional data as a person's department, address, and status (management, nonmanagement, etc.), the invention provides an extended filtering method which is much more flexible and comprehensive than methods presently available.